Friday, May 21, 2010

MOCK DRAFT 1.0

With the cursed Warriors dropping from the 4th spot to the 6th in the NBA Draft Lottery, it's time to crank out yet another mock draft. Team ownership is slated to change hands this offseason, but Don Nelson and Larry Riley are still calling the shots on who to draft until the sale is final. I anticipate that they will continue to act as if they will stay, at the very least, hope to impress the new owners by making yet another wise selection or trade right before the sale.

The up-tempo style of play is the identity of the Warriors. The fans love it as well as the players, but for it to be successful, defense needs to be a priority moving forward. As the roster stands, they could use an upgrade at SF and an additional big man that could bang with the NBA's low post beasts both on the offensive and defensive ends.

I would keep Tolliver because he has clearly shown he belongs in the league (particularly in this system). He can rebound, spread the floor with his shooting, and create mismatches. Tolliver is an asset

There is plenty of depth at the wing position, but the is no clear star at SF that the Warriors can call a core piece to solidify the starting 5. Other than Azubuike, who is undersized playing at SF, there are no good defenders and rebounders in the bunch. If Randolph or Wright can develop a consistent midrange jumper, that could be the answer to that problem, but most likely, that may never come to fruition.

Biedrins took a major step backwards this past season, but it was mostly due to a nagging abdominal injury. His agility and energy was adversely affected and it hurt his game both mentally and physically. I look for him to rebound back into form once healthy giving the Warriors a very good tandem at C with Turiaf as his main back-up. Nonetheless, it would be in the best interest of the Warriors to add another big that can score in the paint with greater ease and slow down the more talented centers in the league. Chris Hunter was marginal at times, but represents the kind of player the Warriors need. A 'rich-man's' Hunter would be ideal.

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